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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

In the ancient world hospitality was a highly valued virtue.
Many Jews in the first century viewed hospitality as one of Abraham’s defining
characteristics and the growth of the early Christian movement took place as traveling apostles and missionaries found lodging and rest among other
believers. This practice is reflected in 3 John 5-8 among many other texts
(lol; how often do you see 3 John cited). We have been blessed and aided beyond
words by two dear friends and members of God’s people in Nyack, NY, Chris and
Sarah Kotecha, as they opened their home to us last night (no small endeavor in
light of the energy possessed by our boys), are taking us to the airport later
today, keeping our van for the summer, and picking us back up again at the end
of the summer.

It was also exciting and encouraging to hear how God is
using and leading Chris and Sarah. They have recently joined up with CEF (Child
Evangelism Fellowship) with the vision and goal of starting an after school
Bible club in each of 39 elementary schools in Rockland County, NY,
an ethnically diverse suburb of NYC. They do this by networking and partnering
with local churches which supply the volunteers and resources. This ministry is
compelling for several reasons: First, it powerfully brings the Gospel to
children; a desperate need at this point in America. Second, it brings together
and unites various churches and denominations in a single cause—watch out if churches
from different denominations begin to work together for the Gospel! Third,
Chris and Sarah are uniquely gifted and trained for this networking and
training ministry; they bring a lot of skills and passion to the table. If you
are interested in being placed on their mailing list to further partner with
them in prayer or with financial support please drop Chris a line at cskotecha@gmail.com.

I just received the registration list for the classes I will
be teaching this summer and students are from the following countries: Cameroon, Ukraine,
Suriname, Romania, Netherlands,
Ghana, Ethiopia, USA,
Serbia, Finland, Georgia,
Myanmar, Rwanda, Kazakhstan,
and Brazil.
What an international student body! Jenny and I are so excited to be a part of
God’s global kingdom!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Since most will not read the actual dissertation I want to
share the “Acknowledgements” page below with a wider readership. I would be
happy to send a pdf copy of the dissertation to any interested readers. It is
entitled “Soteriology as Motivation in the Apocalypse of John” and applies
Toulmin’s model of argumentation analysis to the text of Revelation. I hope to
get it published sometime in the next few years but that will depend upon
finding a willing publisher.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Looking back over my
life and the road that led to the completion of this dissertation, I feel
overwhelmed with gratitude to those who have contributed and sacrificed not
only to help me complete the project, but to shape me into the man that I am
today.

To my beautiful wife Jenny: there is
no doubt about it, I married up. You have shouldered the weight of sacrifice
for this project far more than me; and that with unflagging love and without a
single complaint. My respect, admiration, and love for you has done nothing but
increase since the day we said “I do.” Thank you! To my boys Elijah, Benjamin,
Paul, and Micah: thanks for your patience—daddy’s big book is finally done!

To my parents Michael and Debby
Stewart: thank you for your consistent support, love, and encouragement from
diapers to diploma—I am who I am today because of you. To my other mom, Karen
McAlister: thank you for entrusting your daughter to my care and for embracing
me as a son.

To the professors at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Columbia International University
that have personally guided and mentored me along the way: Dr. David Alan
Black, Dr. Andreas J. Köstenberger, Dr. Chip McDaniel, Dr. William J. Larkin, Dr. John D. Harvey, Dr. Bryan E. Beyer,
Dr. Don N. Howell, and Dr. Joel Williams—thank you for approaching your work as
a vocation and ministry and not simply as a job. I have benefited as much, if
not more, from observing the sincerity of your lives and faith than from your
teaching and research, which was, of course, also exemplary.

To the leaders and members of Tabernacle Christian Church in Southington, CT:
thank you for instilling within me, from a young age, an insatiable longing for
God’s presence and a focus on the heart, not just the externals, of walking
with God. To Carey Baptist Church
in Henderson, NC: thank you for embracing my family as
your family. Your love and support made this project possible and made our
ministry in Henderson
a joy.

Finally and
preeminently, thank you God for including me within your people, loosing me
from my sins, redeeming me from among mankind, and placing your seal upon me
thereby enabling me to overcome. I long for your salvation—the coming of the day
when you will finally, fully, and completely set everything right in your
creation.

The long doctoral journey has finally been completed. God
has led us through four years of undergraduate study, three years of graduate
study, and four more years of doctoral study. My doctoral research focused on
the main point or purpose of the book of Revelation so if anyone has any apocalyptic questions
feel free to contact me. I certainly do not know everything about the book but I have learned a few things over the past few years :-). The graduation ceremony was a bit surreal and
definitely memorable.

The “hooding” part of the ceremony.

My two bosses: Dr. Andreas Köstenberger (on the right) was my second reader; I worked as his research assistant for 3 years. Dr. Benjamin Merkle (on the left); I worked as a graduate fellow with him for a year.

Dr. David Alan Black; my major professor and a full-time
academic missionary (follow his ministry and musings at http://daveblackonline.com/blog.htm).
Dr. Black, more than any other person I know, models a sold-out missionary
lifestyle for king Jesus.

Dr. Al James; Professor of Missions and pastor of Carey Baptist
Church (our home church
for the past four years—we miss yall dearly)

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

All that paperwork and filling the same document out 4 times was well worth it. There was great excitement as the boys "carefully" ripped into the heavy envelope containing the long awaited documents.

Now we are just waiting on Mommy's to arrive...apparently the marriage certificate I have is a certified copy and not a court ordered certified copy therefore not enough evidence Alex and I were hitched 10 years ago (happy anniversary to us!). Prayer request: that my (Jenny) passport would arrive soon!

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